Gas duct in airships



4 June 26, 1923 1,459,878 L. DURR GAS DUCT IN AIRSHIPS Filed June 28, 1920 sheets-shee'b 1 INVENTOR:

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1a i 15 V y J6 INVLNTORL Patented June 26, 1923.

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LUDWIG mine, or rarnnnronsnnrnn, GERMA Y, AssIeNoR To Lnrrsonrrr aan ZEPPELIN ensnnnsoiinn r MIT answers, or FRIEDRICHSI-IAFEN, GERMANY, A CORPORATION or GERMANY.

GAS DUCT IN AIR-SHIPS.

Application filed June 28, 1920. Serial No. 392,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .T. Li'inwio DtiRR, a German citizen, residing at Fricdrichsha'fen, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Ducts in Airships, of which the following is a specification..

My invention refers to airships and. more especially to the means for lettingthegas es cape. i

In airships provided withgas cells it be comes necessary from time to time to allow some gas to escape .in order to reduce the buoyancy or in order to prevent the cells from being placed under an excessive stress in case of the taut pressure being exceeded. To this end the single gas cells are provided with valves allowing the gas to escape from the cell into the space between the outer envelope and the cell. The gas ascending within the space and after having mixed more or less with air escapes through a special outlet provided in the outer envelope. Such outlets may be provided either by inserting in the envelope portions consisting of porous fabric, or grids or even simple apertures of any suitable kind and form.

This system of letting the gas escapeas p acticed up till now involves the considerable disadvantage that the gas leaving the gas cell will form with air outside the cells but inside the envelope an explosive mixture. I

Quite apart therefrom the escaping oi the gas from the cells takes place rather slowly owing to the resistances prevailing.

According to the present inventionnow these drawbacks are obviated by providing that the gas is conducted outwards by means of a guidingchannel or tube starting from a place close to the valve. By this means the gas escaping throughthe valve is carried into the air surrounding the outer envelope in a speedy and safe manner, whereby a quick reduction of the buoyancy is. obtained and at the same time the formation of an. explosive mixture of gas and air between the outer envelope and the gas cells is avoided.

The gases may be carried of]? either by means of a loose and flexible tube or else by means of a tube braced so as to form a channel. The flexible and non-rigid tube can be folded whenever the valve is closed and, when in this condition it will not contain any quantity of air. The rigid tube or chan nel on the contrary will always contain air which must be driven out by the gas escaping on the valve being opened. The tubular guide is preferably disposed between each two cells a single guide being provided only for each cell. It may, however, also be formed to the greater part by the cells themselves in such. a manner that the cells are applied against a rigid tubular structure so that at least in the case where the cells are approi'imately taut. they will form a channel for the escape of the gas. 1

In a preferred form of the subjectmatter of my invention a special envelope is pro vided only for one half of the circular channel wall, a semicylindrical wall being attached to the wall of the cell which latter thenacts as the straightwall of the channel.

In the drawings aflixed to this specification and forming part thereof, part of the. gas

cellsoi an airship are shown by way of example with my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section of an airship body, drawn in a purely diagrammatic manner while V l Figs. 2. 3 and 4: are a front and side elevation and a plan, respectively, of the stiifening structure of a flue drawn to a. larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a View, drawn to a larger scale, of the arrangement disclosed in Figs. 2 to 4i,

Fig. 6 a plan view ofthe lower end of the spacing structure. the gas cell covers adjoining it and the valves disposed near the cell bottom.

Figs. 7 to 9 disclose the combination of a spacing arrangement such as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 with an inner flexible flue connected to the valves.

Figs. 10 and 1].. are a vertical partial section and a side elevation, respectively, of a, gas cell and a simple flexible flue attached thereto.

ll eferring first to Figs; 1 to 6 of the drawings.

at the lower parts of their lateral walls. A structure 3 inserted between each two cells 1 forms an ascending gas tube or flue by the cell envelope applying itself closely to the structure 3. The outer envelope 5 is provided with mouth pieces 6 for the gas chan- The gas cells are provided with valves 2 nel formed after the manner of suction nozzles so that incase that theairship is travelling in the direction shown by arrow 7, the gas is sucked from the fines or channels.

. The structure disclosed in 2 consists of single frames 8 of semicircular shape,

I inserted between the cells, the wall 4 of one cell applying itself against the straight por tion of the spacers 8, which are surrounded onthe curved side by a strip of fabric 13 attached to the wall 4 on both sides.

Fig. 5 clearly shows three different modes of connection of the single spacing frames, viz, vertical cords, netting and crossings.

Figs. 7 to 9 disclose the combination of a flue such as shown in FigsQ to 6 with a collapsible hose is connected at its lower end to the valves whereby the gas escaping from the cells is conducted upwards and discharged into the atmosphere without coming in contact with the air intermediate the cells. The hose 1 f being loosely suspended in the spacers is free to collapse when no gas is escaping, so that almost no air will accumulate therein and the bubbles of pure gas escaping from time to time from .the valves will be sucked through the hose at high a velocity without mixing with air to any appreciable extent. The modification illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 comprises a gas cell 15 and a flexible hose 16 connected to it so as to cover the valve 17 near the bot tom of the cell. In order to allow gas to rise in the hose, this latter is led upwards-between the inner and outer rings 18 and 19 forming part of the airship structure, the hose being thus free to expand as shown not being subject to pressure exerted upon it by the walls ofthe cells.

Instead of semicircular spacers such as shown in Figs. 2 to 9 I may as well employ other forms and I may even insert a rigid structure between the cells.

I claim: i 1. In an airship in combination, a gas cell, a valve in the wall of said cell near the bottom thereof, a flue extending fromv said valve upwards into the outer air and means for preventing the pressure exerted by said wall from throttling said flue.

2. In an airship in combination, a gas cell, a valve in the wallet said cell near the bottom thereof, a flue extending from said valve upwards into the outer air and spacing members arranged in contact with said wall for preventing the pressure exerted by said wall from throttling said flue.

3. In an airship in combination, a gas cell, a valve in the wall of said cell near the bottom thereof, a flue extendingfrom said valve i'ipwards into the outer air and semicircular spacing members arranged in contact with said wall for preventing the pressure exerted by said wall from throttling said flue, said spacing members being interconnected by cords.

4. In an airship in combination, a gas cell, a valve in the wall of said cell near the bottom thereof, a flue extending from said valve upwards into the outer air and semicircular spacing members arranged in contact with said wall for preventing the pressure exerted by said wall from throttling said flue, said spacing members being interconnected by crossed cords.

5. In an airship in combination, a gas cell, a valve in the wall of said cell near the bottom thereof, a fiue extending from said valve upwards into the outer air and spacing'niem bers arranged in contact with said wall for preventing the pressure exerted by said wall from throttling said flue, a strip of fabric being placed partly around said members and having its lateraledges fixed to said I wall.

6. In an airship in combination, a gas cell, a valve in the wall of said cell near the bottom thereof, a flexible hose extending from said valve upwards into the outer air and hollow spacing members surrounding said hose so as to prevent the pressure exerted by the wall of said cell from throttling said hose.

7. In an airshipin combination, a. gas cell, an outerenvelope surrounding said gas cell with a clearance, a valve in the wall of said cell near the bottom thereof, a flexible hose extending from said valve upwards into the outer'air, hollow spacing members surrounding said hose so as to prevent the pressur exerted by the wall of said cell from throttlingsaid hose and communications betweenthe interior of said hose and said clearance.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DR. LUDWIG DT'JRR. 

